Julie's Review: Perfect on Paper - The (Mis)Adventures of Waverly Bryson

Summary: When her fiance calls off their wedding at the last minute, Waverly Bryson wonders if her life will ever turn out the way she thought it would...or should. Her high-powered job in sports PR? Not so perfect. Her relationship with her dad? Far from it. Her perfect marriage? Enough said.

Perfect...on Paper is a humorous tale of Waverly's efforts to cobble the pieces of a broken yesterday into a brand new tomorrow. What does the future have in store for her? Will she finally find what she's looking for?

* Her dates? Cringe-inducing at times, defintely entertaining
* Her friends? Often amused, definitely supportive
* Her new crush? Possibly intrigued, definitely a crush
* The results? Hardly perfect, definitely just right

~book jacket

Review: Perfect on Paper: The (Mis)adventures of Waverly Bryson is a perfect way to kick off the new year! I read it in 24 hours, which with 2 kids is pretty impossible these days, so that says a lot. This is a delightful book and I was rooting for Waverly from the first page. Her friends are awesome to get to know and, well, Jake...dreamy. I loved all the 80s and 90s references and when the love interest was named Jake, all that I could think of was Sixteen Candles, which Ms. Murnane does tie in very nicely at some point in the book.

Waverly is pretty but doesn't know it, doing a job she couldn't care less about and she's pretty damn witty. This book is smart, funny and intuitive. I love how each chapter starts with a "Honey" note that gives you a glimpse into what is going to happen in each chapter. She bumbles her way through bumping into her ex, going on really horrible bad dates and work party etiquette, among other things. You know, something we all can identify with.

In my opinion, Waverly Bryson is the American equivalent of Bridget Jones.

What I liked about the book was that the book wasn't just about getting the guy, it was about finding yourself and figuring out what you want in life. I'm a big believer in the idea that you can't love anyone fully until you love yourself. This book backs up that idea. I have a feeling that Waverly is a bit autobiographical for Maria.

I have to give mad props to Maria Murnane, she published this book on her own and is working with Pump Up Your Book Promotion to get the word out on her book. I can only imagine what kind of funds it takes to publish your own book. I wish her the best of luck in promoting this book and, heck, if she writes another book I'll be sure to put it on my amazon.com wish list to pre-order it.

Final Take: 5/5